BLUR guitarist Graham Coxon will make his acting debut in a new film being shot in North Yorkshire.The musician has signed up to play a retrained vet in Easingwold-born director Steve Nesbit’s twisty-turny thriller Mawken, which begins filming in Harrogate early next year.“I think this is the right story for him,” Steve said.“The character is very British, a gentleman, and that’s pretty much what Graham is.“But he’ll be called on to do some very challenging work.”Somewhat improbably, Coxon provided the music for Steve’s previous low-budget movie, CURIO, in exchange for some salt beef.“Graham had been an acquaintance for quite some time and a very good friend of one of my exec producers,” Steve said.“I called her one day about something totally unrelated and she said: ‘You’ll never guess who I’m having lunch with.’“I said: ‘While he’s there, just ask him if he’ll do the soundtrack. We can’t pay him, he’ll have to work for salt beef!’“I make a bit of my own food and it was the only thing I could think of that was worthwhile.”After reading the script, Coxon leapt at the chance, delivering a score he described as “Pink Floyd with fangs”, and the film has gone on to win 13 awards at four different movie festivals in the USA and Mexico.It was at a screening for the crew that the musician told Steve of his acting ambitions.“Graham was bouncing around like Tigger, because he was so pleased with the results,” Steve said.“We got to talking about the performances and he said acting was something he had always wanted to try.”Following a series of tests, the pair entered rehearsals.“He absolutely had it nailed from the first moment,” Steve said.“Graham is a very transferable artist.“He’s excellent at his chosen path in music, he paints and – as the world will soon see – he’s an excellent actor.”Mawken will see Coxon’s vet moving to a hamlet in the Dales and uncovering what he thinks is a dog-fighting ring – but is actually something far more sinister.The film is part of Steve’s plan to establish a North Yorkshire film industry, with profits going back into the local community.“We want to get investment from the area,” Steve said. “We’ve found a great location, we’re using a largely local cast and crew and it would be a shame for the surplus to go elsewhere.”